Bertram 570 Convertible

Source: Boatpoint Magazine

American-made Bertram boats are back in Australia in a big way, starting with a Bertram 570 Convertible, the first of nine models expected to hit our shores by the end of 2006

One of the most exciting announcements made at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in May was that Western Australian-based Eagle Yachts has secured exclusive dealership rights to sell the Bertram brand Australia-wide.

Eagle Yachts are not mucking around either. The company has already placed $17 million worth of orders which will result in five new Bertram models, including two of the flagship 670s, being delivered Down Under by the end of this year.

To ensure there is no confusion, it should be pointed out that Bertram has no association with the Australian-built Caribbean brand which is often referred to as Bertram boats in Australia. The true Bertram brand is based in Miami, Florida and is now owned by Italian boatbuilding giant, the Ferretti Group.

Eagle Yachts has dealerships in Perth, Sydney and the Gold Coast, and Chairman Peter Sarich expects to have taken delivery of the full Bertram line-up from the all-new 360 Express to the 670 Convertible by October 2006.

BIG AND FAST
The Bertram on display at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show, and the subject of this review, was the 570 Convertible. With an LOA of 18.46m, beam of 5.1m and loaded displacement of more than 34 tonne, this boat is no toy. Add to this twin Cat C30 diesels at 1550hp a side and what you’ve got is a boat that turns heads wherever it goes.

The Bertram 570 is pretty typical of today’s US-built convertibles: big and fast! While for many boaties, fuel economy and reliability are probably higher up the list than top speed, there is nothing better than going fast – and going fast in a big boat takes the feeling of exhilaration to a whole new level.

I’ve been in very few boats that can cruise at 30kt off Australia’s east coast but during my short stint behind the wheel of the Bertram 570, I was extremely impressed with how soft and how dry the ride was. There is no substitute for weight and waterline length when it comes to ride, and the Bertram 570 is a good case in point.

With the boat full of fuel and water we reached a top speed of 36kt offshore and the boat would have been more than happy to go faster. At this speed you expect to start hearing bangs and rattles as you come off the backs of waves but there were no bone-jarring landings on the test day. The boat had a very level attitude and there was no need to play with the trim tabs. For a big boat it jumped on to the plane extremely quickly and you know you’ve got some horsepower underneath you when you get pushed back into the seat as the turbos kick in.

The boat was a little sluggish around the corner, and took on a considerable amount of water in the cockpit. To its credit, the scupper system worked very well with water expelled as quickly as it entered, although the coaming gate above the transom door needs a locking device because we managed to lift it with water pressure from a wave.

Pushing 34kt, with a big deep vee, this boat is not going to spin like a pocket sportsfisher with a flat aft section, but you buy a 57-footer for its ride in forward not its agility in reverse.

MODERN AND STYLISH LAYOUT
The cockpit on the 570 is huge (147sqft according to Bertram’s specifications). The cockpit coamings are heavily padded and the freeboard is high enough to ensure safety.

The saloon door is offset to starboard to fit the flybridge ladder and access to the engine room between the amidships area and the port bulkhead at the forward end of the cockpit.

A sink and tackle station features fresh and saltwater faucets and a small cutting board. Steps in the forward cockpit corners provide access to the sidedecks which are nice and wide and provide hassle-free access to the bow.

I was surprised to see a smooth gelcoat finish on the covering boards around the cockpit: a bit of water on these and they will turn into a slippery slide. A continuation of the non-skid located on the sidedecks would be a smart move. Or better still, and although it requires a lot more maintenance, I think I would opt for teak deck and covering boards.

The engine-room access door could do with a latch of some sort to hold it open if you have to pop down for a quick check. Access to the engine room from the cockpit was quite good and once inside I had full headroom when standing between the engines. Although there’s not a heck of a lot of room to get around the engines, particularly outboard, the general layout and finish of the 570’s engine room is first class. Separating pumps and ancillary systems such as the generator and desalinator from the engine room proper to an aft compartment is a smart move although you’re on your hands and knees while working in this area.

As you access the saloon from the cockpit you are greeted by a modern and stylish layout which incorporates high-gloss cherrywood timberwork, granite-look Corian benchtops and luxurious leather upholstery.

A six-seater lounge on the portside provides views of the big Sharp flatscreen TV complete with Bose surround sound system. Cabinets along the starboard side of the saloon house a liquor cabinet, icemaker and circuit breaker panels. A floating coffee table, albeit a heavy one, is testament to the boat’s consistent attitude at sea. Big side windows offer plenty of natural light to the saloon while timber Venetian blinds ensure privacy if required.

At the forward end of the saloon you’ll find a six-seater dinette to starboard and a good-sized galley to port. The 570 is available in two different galley configurations. The test boat features a full-size side-by-side refrigerator which personally I’m not a big fan of on boats. The floor to ceiling cabinet that houses the fridge is quite obtrusive and restricts communication between the chef and those lounging around the saloon. The second layout option, with a standard U-shaped galley and underbench refrigeration unit, would be my choice for sure.

Other galley features include a microwave oven, dishwasher drawer, heaps of storage with clever slide-out shelving and a four-burner cooktop which has a sliding Corian cover to form additional benchspace when the cooktop is not in use. A rod locker is also concealed in the ceiling above the galley.

From the galley it’s five steps down to the companionway and the first cabin you come across is the crew or second guest cabin which is located on the starboard side. This cabin featured two generous side-by-side single bunks with side table in between, storage space for clothes, ample lighting and even a flatscreen TV with DVD/MP3 player.

Immediately forward of the crew cabin is the first of three heads. This one can be used as an ensuite to the crew cabin or alternately as a dayhead via another door in the companionway. All heads are similarly finished with high-gloss cherrywood, Corian benchtops, Tecma toilets, mirrored ceilings, Amtico flooring and spacious shower stalls.

The master stateroom is located amidships on the portside. This is a very spacious cabin with ample room to move around the queen-size bed. A mirrored aft bulkhead accentuates the spaciousness and storage is everywhere thanks to sideboard cupboards and drawers, bedside tables, hanging lockers and a huge storage area under the bed. The master stateroom features its own ensuite which is similar to the dayhead although the shower stall is larger.

A cabinet in the companionway just forward of the master stateroom conceals a washing machine and dryer.

A third head, located on the starboard side is also accessed from the companionway but would be primarily used by the guests in the forward stateroom. Whoever chose the tacky wallpaper should go back to interior design school.

Standard configuration for the forward stateroom is for a queen-size island berth with hanging lockers on either side, however, the test boat is fitted with two large single bunks in the forward cabin which would be more suited to family use or charterwork. Although you lose one hanging locker in this configuration, there is still ample storage space.

The forward cabin also features a TV with DVD/MP3 as well as an overhead hatch for natural light and ventilation.

HELM VISION
Back out to the cockpit and access to the flybridge is via a ladder on the port side. Plenty of handrails on the way up ensure a safe passage. As you’d expect on a 57-footer, the flybridge is huge and ample seating means the captain should always have some company.

I had no trouble viewing the extremities of the boat from the helm with a good view of the transom corners although I could only just see the tip of the bowrail, so some shorter captains may struggle with the vision forward.

Helmsman and co-pilot are treated well with a pair of beautiful Release Marine helmchairs complete with removable backrests. The footrest for the helmsman works very well: you can really lock yourself in by pushing back into the chair. And if it gets really rough there is a handy grabrail overhead under the hardtop which helps you stay in your seat.

The dash layout is user-friendly, with a small helm-pod sporting a pair of ZF single-lever controls and a polished wheel.

All the electronics are relatively easy to reach and how could you say no to the optional retractable dash console that hides all your electronics when not in use? The other neat thing about the retractable console is that it can be opened as far as you like – it doesn’t have to be locked all the way up or all the way down.

Dash features on the test boat include three Raymarine C120 screens to run the sounder, plotter and radar. There is also a Simrad autopilot, Cat electronic engine monitors, HF radio, CD player, backup GPS and an easy to read and understand switch panel.

Vision through the clears is excellent. The panels are very large with a minimal use of zips. Another clever idea was to put the clears on the inside of the anodised aluminium hardtop supports which means the zippers can follow the lines of the supports resulting in a less obstructed view and easy to access zips.

In front of the helm console is a big U-shaped lounge which turns the flybridge into a social area for the run home. There is a good-sized icebox which could easily be refrigerated and it wouldn’t be hard to mount a small dinette table adjacent to the lounge if upper-deck dining is your gig. A few more drinkholders would be handy up here also. A dedicated, easily-accessible compartment is incorporated into the forward lounge seat to accommodate an RFD, as opposed to having these essential but unsightly units mounted on the foredeck.

It’s very difficult to review a boat like this in a day. You really need to cruise for a week on the Barrier Reef (hint hint) to truly discover what a boat like this can do. That said, the short time I spent on the Bertram 570 had me impressed. It’s a big boat with a price tag to match – but if you’re at a stage in your life where you want the best but are not prepared to wait for a custom boat to be built, then the latest offerings from Bertram may be the answer.